Method of improving the growth performance of an animal

Abstract

The invention broadly relates to a method of improving the growth performance of an animal. In particular the present invention relates to a method of improving the growth performance of an animal comprising the step of administering to an animal in need thereof a growth promoting amount of one or more cytokines or biologically active fragments thereof.

The claims defining the invention are as follows  
     
         1 . A method for improving the growth performance of an animal comprising the step of administering to an animal in need thereof a growth promoting amount of one or more cytokines or biologically-active fragments thereof.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the cytokine or fragment thereof is administered optionally in combination with a pharmaceutical carrier, adjuvant or vehicle.  
     
     
         3 . A method for improving the growth performance of an animal comprising the step of administering to an animal in need thereof a composition comprising a cytokine or biologically-active fragment thereof in conjunction with an antibiotic, optionally in combination with a pharmaceutical carrier, adjuvant or vehicle, wherein said composition achieves a synergistic growth promoting effect.  
     
     
         4 . A method for improving the growth performance of an animal comprising the step of administering to an animal in need thereof a compound or composition which increases or supplements endogenous cytokine levels such that a growth promoting amount of one or more cytokines is produced, wherein growth performance is enhanced relative to the growth performance of an animal which has not been administered said compound or composition.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein the compound or composition is administered prior to, together with, or subsequent to the administration of a growth promoting amount of one or more cytokines.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  3  or  5 , wherein the cytokine is selected from the group consisting of interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 7 (IL-7), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 11 (IL-11), interleukin 12 (IL-12), interleukin 13 (IL-13), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), erythropoietin (Epo), stem cell factor (SCF), leucocyte inhibitor factor (LIF), tumour growth factor beta (TGFβ) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα).  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the cytokine is selected from the group consisting of interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF).  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6 , wherein the cytokine is either interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4) or interleukin 5 (IL-5).  
     
     
         9 . A method according to any one of claims  3 ,  6  to  8 , wherein the administration of the antibiotic is prior to or subsequent to the administration of the cytokine.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to any one of claims  1 ,  2 ,  4  or  5 , further comprising the step of administering an antibiotic.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to any one of  claims 6  to  10 , wherein the antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of amoxycylin, penicillin, procaine, ampicillin, cloxacillin, penicillin G, benzathine, benethamine, ceftiofur, cephalonium, cefuroxime, erythromycin, tylosin, tilmicosin, oleandomycin, kitasamycin, lincomycin, spectinomycin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, neomycin, apramycin, streptomycin, avoparcin, dimetridazole, sulfonamides (including trimethoprim and diaveridine), bacitracin, virginiamycin, monensin, salinomycin, lasalocid, narasin and olaquindox or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the antibiotic is either lincomycin, spectinomycin or amoxicillin or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  12 , wherein the administration is orally, topically, or parenterally.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein parenteral administration is either by subcutaneous injection, aerosol, intravenous, intramuscular, intrathecal, intrasternal injection, infusion techniques or encapsulated cells.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  14 , wherein the administration is either a single dose unit or a multiple dose unit.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  13 , wherein the administration is orally as an additive in water and/or feed.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  16 , wherein the growth performance of an animal is selected from the group consisting of an increase in growth rate, an increase in efficiency of feed use, an increase in final weight, an increase in dressed weight and decrease in fat content.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  17 , wherein the improved growth performance of an animal results from immunoenhancement, anti-parasitic or anti-microbial effects, anti-inflammatory effects or stress reduction.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to any one of  claims 1  to  17 , wherein the animal is either an Artiodactyl or avian.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the Artiodactyl is selected from the group consisting of cattle, pigs, sheep, camels, goats and horses.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the avian is selected from the group consisting of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein the animal is either cattle, pigs, or sheep.  
     
     
         23 . A growth promoting composition comprising one or more cytokines or biologically-active fragments thereof and one or more antibiotics.  
     
     
         24 . A growth promoting composition according to  claim 23 , further comprising a pharmaceutical carrier, adjuvant or vehicle.  
     
     
         25 . A growth promoting composition according to  claim 23  or  claim 24 , wherein the cytokine is selected from the group consisting of interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 7 (IL-7), interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 11 (IL-11), interleukin 12 (IL-12), interleukin 13 (IL-13), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), erythropoietin (Epo), stem cell factor (SCF), leucocyte inhibitor factor (LIF), tumour growth factor beta (TGFβ) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα).  
     
     
         26  A growth promoting composition according to  claim 25 , wherein the cytokine is selected from the group consisting of interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF).  
     
     
         27 . A growth promoting composition according to  claim 25 , wherein the cytokine is either interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 4 (IL-4) or interleukin 5 (IL-5).  
     
     
         28 . A growth promoting composition according to any one of  claims 23  to  27 , wherein the antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of amoxycylin, penicillin, procaine, ampicillin, cloxacillin, penicillin G, benzathine, benethamine, ceftiofur, cephalonium, cefuroxime, erythromycin, tylosin, tilmicosin, oleandomycin, kitasamycin, lincomycin, spectinomycin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, neomycin, apramycin, streptomycin, avoparcin, dimetridazole, sulfonamides (including trimethoprim and diaveridine), bacitracin, virginiamycin, monensin, salinomycin, lasalocid, narasin and olaquindox or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         29 . A growth promoting composition according to  claim 28 , wherein the antibiotic is lincomycin, spectinomycin or amoxicillin or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         30 . A method for improving the growth performance of an animal comprising the step of administering to an animal in need thereof a nucleic acid molecule encoding one or more cytokines or biologically-active fragments thereof, wherein the expression of said nucleic acid molecule produces a growth promoting amount of said cytokines or fragments thereof.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is administered by injection subcutaneously, intravenously, or intramuscularly or administered as an aerosol.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount of about 1 μg to 2000 μg per dose  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount of about 5 μg to 1000 μg per dose.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 30 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is administered in an amount of about 6 μg to 200 μg per dose.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 27 , wherein the nucleic acid molecule is administered in a vector or as naked DNA.  
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the vector is a porcine adenovirus vector.  
     
     
         37 . A construct for delivering in vivo an effective amount of cytokine, comprising: 
 a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a cytokine or a biologically active fragment thereof;    b) a vector comprising a control sequence wherein the control sequence is-capable of the controlling the expression of the nucleotide sequence of a) such that a cytokine or biologically active fragment thereof is produced which in turns improves growth performance in an animal.